An exports strategy for Telangana to help the State break into the top five over the next five years in the country is being readied.
“We are in the middle of finalising our exports strategy,” a senior official from the State government said on Wednesday about the initiative involving the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).
One of the top exporters in the IT and ITeS space, Telangana is keen on becoming a leading merchandise exporting State too, something for which the exports strategy in the making would recommend measures. “Telangana is right now in top five exporting States, but if you exclude services exports our ranking falls. If we only look at merchandise export we are in top 10,” Industries and IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan told a seminar on export opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises organised by industry body CII.
- Telangana accounts for 2.19 per cent share in India’s export and boasts of a diversified export profile
- One of the top three IT and ITeS exporters, the State aspires for more growth in merchandise exports
- Exports strategy aims to facilitate exporters through various measures, from policy to promotion
- Issues concerning infrastructure, EoDB, logistics facilitation, skill development being covered
- Greater role for micro, small and medium enterprises envisaged
Sources familiar with the upcoming export strategy said district-level discussions with industry bodies, entrepreneurs, especially exporters, to identify the strengths and weaknesses were underway since the project was formally kick-started in mid-February. The overall aim of the strategy is to facilitate exporters in the State through measures related to policy, infrastructure, common facility, ease of doing business, logistics facilitation, skill development and promotion.
Organic chemicals and pharmaceuticals dominate Telangana’s export basket. The list of top ten principal commodities exported from the State are: drug formulations, biologicals, residual chemicals and allied products; bulk drugs and drug intermediates; organic chemicals; granite, natural stones and product; electric machinery and equipment; buffalo meat; gold and other precious metal jewellery and industrial machinery for dairy are the top exported from Telangana.
The export strategy would look at target and key sectors; address central level concerns; suggest steps to facilitate trade enabling infrastructure including logistics; market diversification and EODB measures. It is expected to highlight policies pursued by different States and adapt the best from them.
Value addition
The strategy, which is expected to be ready by August, would look at various other aspects and that include enhancing role of trade related organisations, trade related infrastructure and connectivity. Besides measures to increase exports, the strategy would focus on enhancing value addition and product diversification, addressing concerns of existing clusters, identifying sectoral skill need, developing common processing/facility requirements as well as creating Town of Export Excellence.
Under the Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme of the Commerce Ministry, a number of projects and proposals in the State were under consideration, including setting up of a common effluent treatment plant in Choutuppal area of Nalgonda for the benefit of pharma companies and developing roads from granite quarries.
